ISHTIYAQ AHMAD
EARLY TIMES REPORT
SRINAGAR, June 14: As this year’s first quarter has witnessed a record number of Ceasefire Violations taking serious toll on army, locals, their livestock and property, many people living in the villages close to LoC in north Kashmir’s twin districts of Kupwara and Baramulla are seriously considering to migrate to safer places.
Given the intensity of exchange of all kinds of weapons including artillery by the armies of Pakistan and India , people living close to the LoC in Uri, Keran and Tangdhar are considering to move to safer places for the safety of themselves and their livestock. Majority of people from the villages close to LoC said they are sensing trouble in the days ahead given the nature of aggression on both sides of the fence.
“I have not seen such an aggression between the two sides ever before. The armies of India and Pakistan are using massive artillery as if there is a war already between them,” said Abdur Rashid Khatana, 75, a resident of Nambla village of Uri. “This time it is intense. There is shelling at times from the other side and response from this side is more aggressive. In between the two sides, we are stuck badly.”
Khatana said that he feels that things can go from bad to worse in the coming days given the nature of hostility from both sides. “Don’t know when this would end. It may go worse in the days ahead. This is my gut feeling,” he said, adding that he and his relatives have decided to migrate to town in case situation turns ugly. “If things remain the same, we will go and camp in Srinagar along with our livestock. If we stay here, we will die along with our cattle.”
Shahzada Bano, a widow in Charunda village of Uri said that since the past one week, LoC is very hot as there is heavy exchange of fire. “It is hard to judge who violates the ceasefire. We don’t get time to judge who resorts to firing first. But the fact is that intense shelling from both sides and their deafening sound breaks the morning silence and triggers a wave of fear among us all,” she said.
A mother of three children, including two daughters, said that the first thing she does when there is an exchange of fire is she takes all three children in a “self-made underground bunker for safety.”
“I tell my kids not to come out. My second priority is my live stock which is our source of living. I have two buffaloes and three cows besides a dozen sheep. I lock them in the shed and pray for the safety of my children and my livestock when shelling intensifies,” she said.
She said if things remain the same in the coming days, she will travel along with her children and livestock to Chenab valley in Jammu where her relatives live.
Many residents of Uri villages close to LoC are seriously planning to migrate if things deteriorate in the days and week ahead. “Things seem to be turning worse. We are considering options where to migrate—Srinagar or Jammu,” they said.
As per official records, since January this year, 1630 ceasefire violations have taken place in J&K, majority of them in Poonch, Rajouri, RS Pura, Keran and Uri sectors. An army official said that it is the Pakistan army that violates the 2003 CF pact every time. “We are always giving them a befitting response. There have been casualties on both sides,” he said, adding that “this year so far, there is a surge in CFV from across the LoC.” |
